How To Become A Volunteer Research Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a volunteer research assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Slavko Komarnytsky,

Shelly Lesher

The average volunteer research assistant salary is $52,906. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an psychology major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a volunteer research assistant. Volunteer research assistants with a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 19% and produce 150,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a volunteer research assistant?

Slavko Komarnytsky

Associate Professor, North Carolina State University

Stay current on research developments and industry trends. Strongly consider a relevant master's degree or at least a certificate program in the area of your interest to stand out and gain in-depth knowledge, networks, and technical skills. Seek writing and speaking opportunities to establish visibility and credibility to your name. For many recent graduates, it takes six months in the current economic climate to secure a career opportunity, so plan for it accordingly. Hire a headhunter even if it costs you a few months of your future salary, as the first job placement is often the most difficult one. Apply early to graduate Ph.D. programs if you intend to continue your career in academia, but do not view a Ph.D. program as a placeholder to overwinter the pandemic and economic meltdown. The Ph.D. is a lot of original independent work that will make you overqualified to many technical jobs, especially in the recession.

ScoreVolunteer Research AssistantUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,906

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.5

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.03%

Asian 16.41%

Black or African American 8.46%

Hispanic or Latino 15.11%

Unknown 6.00%

White 52.99%

Gender

female 60.67%

male 39.33%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a volunteer research assistant

Explore volunteer research assistant education requirements

Most common volunteer research assistant degrees

Bachelor's

75.2 %

Master's

11.4 %

Associate

6.6 %

Start to develop specific volunteer research assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Lab Equipment	14.41%
DR	12.17%
Literature Reviews	7.42%
Data Collection	6.09%
Cell Culture	4.97%

Complete relevant volunteer research assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New volunteer research assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a volunteer research assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real volunteer research assistant resumes.

Research volunteer research assistant duties and responsibilities

Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Compile subject questionnaires using SPSS data analysis software.
Perform DNA extraction and estimation.
Analyze isolated purity of RNA samples with Nanodrop machine.

Prepare your volunteer research assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your volunteer research assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a volunteer research assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable volunteer research assistant resume templates

Build a professional volunteer research assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your volunteer research assistant resume.

Apply for volunteer research assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a volunteer research assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do volunteer research assistants rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Volunteer research assistant reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

I like to explore more in community health related field and benefit the future generations from avoidable diseases and help them with information related to health aspects.

Cons

None

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019